Salmons receives votes for league's best perimeter defender

NBA.com this week announced the results of a poll conducted amongst NBA general managers, asking their opinions of the league's best defenders, broken down (loosely) by position. In response to the question "Who is the best on-the-ball defender in the NBA?," John Salmons received 3.6% of the vote, and he also recevied at least one also-ran vote for the question "Who is the best perimeter defender in the NBA?"

(No, it wasn't either of Foxson. You can't vote for your own team's players.)

This is kind of unexpected. Salmons' offensive breakout has been duly documented, and his defense has never been thought of as bad. His size is a great asset on the perimeter, and even though he's a bit slow (particularly for the shooting guard position) he does a reasonably good job of staying in front of quicker people and fighting through screens.

But he's never been thought of as a particularly good defender, not in his time with the Bulls nor before he got here, and so his presence on any list such of this is an eye-opener. Particularly on one voted for by the NBA's chief executives.

Then again, it can't exactly be a flawless poll, as Kobe Bryant won the 'best perimeter defender' question. And even though Kobe can play very good perimeter defense, he often doesn't. So it's a flawed system, if there indeed any system to it.

Interesting, though.



(chicagonow.com)